The Truth
by hello sunshinexo
Summary: Lilli moves to Bluebell for a new beginning, but ends up concealing parts of herself to those she cares about.  When the truth is inevitably revealed, is it too late to save her friendships... and a possible romantic relationship?
1. Chapter 1

Overwhelming. That was the only word that could describe Lilli's first week in Bluebell, and after seven measly days she was contemplating defeat. She had learned the names of all the villagers and had tried (sometimes successfully, but mostly in vain) to connect these names with their faces. For a girl who forgot names the second she was introduced to someone, memorizing the townsfolk's names would have been enough of a challenge. But no; she also took a crash course in farming. _Maybe I should have stayed in the city_, Lilli thought as she collapsed on her creaky bed. Of course, that was wishful thinking. She had no choice—she had to remain in Bluebell, no matter what…

Lilli woke with a start the next morning at 6 AM—as a morning person, this adjustment had been the only easy one—and immediately let out a guttural screech as she rolled over. "My aaaaaarms!" she wailed pathetically. Every single morning here she had woken up miserably sore. Her back ached from pushing her stubborn cow in and out of the barn, her legs were wobbly from running through the treacherous mountain area, and this morning she felt like she had been punched repeatedly in the each bicep. Despite her pain, Lilli flopped out of bed and changed into her work clothes, including the headpiece. She had rejected the cloth square at first, failing to find the rustic appeal in it, but it held her hair back better than a ponytail ever could and she had grown to like the look. Maybe not fashion-forward, but quaint. After a quick breakfast of chamomile tea and an egg, sunny-side up, Lilli grabbed her rucksack and darted out the door.

Ruthie the cow was far more agreeable this morning than she ever had been before, and didn't even step on Lilli's toes as she milked her; Lilli took this as a good sign. Henrietta the chicken even clucked happily at Lilli as she collected her egg. "Good morning, sunshine," Lilli crooned to the chicken. These animals were growing on her… except…

"Oh, you've gotta go." Lilli held her nose as she approached the big brown horse she had been lent. "You're useful, but…" Before she could finish her statement, Lilli sneezed once, twice, three violent times and wiped her watering eyes with her sleeve. "I need to talk with Georgia," she said aloud.

Lilli jogged north towards the center of Bluebell, her breath coming out in soft wisps in the chilly morning air. It was only seven-thirty, but she knew Georgia would be awake. And it was true—immediately Lilli spotted Georgia by her gleaming auburn hair. "Hey!" she called.

Georgia looked behind her and smiled. "Why, g'mornin' Lilli!" she called back with a wave. "How're you doing this fine day?" Her soft accent had surprised Lilli at first, but she loved Georgia's unique way of talking. It reminded her of _Steel Magnolias_.

"Hi, Georgia. I'm glad I'm not the only one who gets up this early!"

"Oh no, I'm up at the crack of dawn every mornin'!" Georgia rested her hands on the fence and stepped up onto the bottom beam. She was very petite—no more than five foot two—but standing on the fence she was taller than Lilli. "What brings you here? We're closed this early, you know."

"Yeah, I know. I just had some time after taking care of Henrietta and Ruthie and thought I'd stop by to chat for a while. I'm not used to being alone; where I grew up I lived in an apartment complex and there were always people around, so it's crazy moving to a town of fifteen people, it's almost traumatic, really, and…" Lilli realized she was rambling and stopped mid-sentence, embarrassed. "Sorry."

"Is somethin' on your mind?" Georgia knit her eyebrows together. "Movin' is always stressful. I'm not a native to this village either. I can relate to you… how can I help?"

Lilli wanted to ask where Georgia was from, but instead she blurted out "What if someone gave me a gift that I just… can't use?"

"You mean like food? Well, I reckon you could just throw that away. Just don't say a word about it and nobody will know, or be upset—"

"No, it's a…bigger issue than that." Lilli began twisting a lock of her light brown hair around her index finger, a nervous habit that she could never seem to break. She knew she should have talked to someone earlier about this, but she was too embarrassed. "The thing is, I'm… well, I really wish I weren't because it was such a thoughtful gift and everything, and I know they're useful but Georgia, I'm allergic to horses!"

"Allergic?" Georgia echoed in bewilderment. "You're… allergic to the horse we lent you? I've never in my life heard of a horse allergy before!"

"I promise you, I'd never lie to you and I'm not making it up. He's the sweetest animal, but he makes me sneeze and itch and my eyes water… I can't do it, I'm so sorry." Lilli let go of her hair and looked at the grass, avoiding Georgia's gaze. "I've been allergic to them since I was a little girl. I found out when I went to horse camp for a week with my friends and I had to be sent home early because I broke out in hives." There, she had said it. The truth was out in the open. Hopefully Georgia wouldn't be too angry with her… she was such a nice girl and Lilli's first friend in town.

Georgia climbed up the last two beams on the fence she had been standing atop of and jumped over it. "What are you doing?" Lilli asked.

"We're going to bring your horse back here. I love the creatures, but nobody should be sufferin' if it can be avoided! Come on, I'll take him home."

"Georgia, are you sure?" Lilli followed her nervously. "I don't want to cause you any trouble."

Georgia shook her head, and Lilli saw she was smiling. "Oh, don't you worry a bit. We took care of him all his life, and we can certainly take him back! My dad and I just thought it would be a good housewarming gift for you…" Seeing the worry on Lilli's face, she added, "I'm not offended in the slightest. Truth be told, I was starting to miss him!"

Lilli and Georgia walked back to Villa Farm and within ten minutes, Georgia had the horse bridled up and ready to go. "I really can't tell you how much I appreeee—" Lilli's thanks was interrupted by a sneeze. "How much I appreciate this," she finished with a sniffle.

Patting the horse, Georgia nodded and said "It ain't a problem at all! Now, if you ever need him, just come on over to my ranch and we'll help you out. I know you need a horse to move your horse cart around, but I don't reckon you'll be doing that all too much."

"Georgia? Will you keep this between us? I don't mind if you tell your dad but… this is embarrassing for me and I don't want people to talk about it. I don't want to be known as the farmer who is allergic to her own animals!"

"Why, of course. It's our little secret," she promised.

As Georgia started leading the horse away, Lilli spoke. "Thank you. Really."

Georgia smiled and nodded before walking away, making clicking noises with her tongue as the horse followed her willingly. She turned on the outskirts of Villa farm and called over her shoulder, "Good luck with your chores today! I know it's hard work, but you'll soon be fit as a fiddle and ready to take on farm life!" With a final wave, Georgia and her horse disappeared from sight.

. . . . .

**I'm finally writing again, thanks to inspiration from my newly purchase Tale of Two Towns game. Let me know what you guys think! Feedback is much appreciated. I do not own Harvest Moon, but I sure do love playing it and writing about its characters!**


	2. Chapter 2

Lilli passed the next week in much better spirits. Unlike her first week at Villa farm, she had no trouble remembering the Bluebell villagers' names, and farm work came much easier to her. Even her animals were beginning to trust her; Ruthie was much more patient as she was being milked, and Henrietta did not cluck in fear and run away when Lilli tried to pick her up. She still had no crops on her farm, but that too changed early one morning.

Jerked out of a dream, Lilli groggily stumbled out of bed just as Rutger opened her front door. _He has a key to my house?_ She wondered sleepily, and rubbed her eyes as the grinning mayor walked toward her.

"Goooood morning, Lilli! I hope you don't mind that I invited myself in!" Rutger chuckled, tapping his ever-present cane (decorative, Lilli suspected) on her wooden floor. "Oh, did I wake you?" he asked, noticing her wild hair and sleepy eyes.

"Yeah, not a big deal though…" Lilli stretched and realized she had fallen asleep in her work outfit last night… again.

"I'm here to teach you about growing crops! Do you have a moment to learn?"

Lilli looked at him as she pulled her work boots on, puzzled. "I know I can grow crops here, but I don't have a field… I thought I could just focus on my animals for a while until I saved up enough cash to remodel. Isn't Konohana the crop-based town?"

"You're quite right about that! We Bluebell folk find that farming is all about the animals. Majestic cows, cheery chickens, hearty sheep, and exotic alpacas are what farming should be focused on. Unlike our neighboring village—"and here Rutger paused and sniffed disdainfully—"we see the true value in our livestock and the community that it brings us. Their village is spread out awkwardly due to their abundant fields, and therefore the village layout is quite cumbersome, if I may be so bold as to say so. We, on the other hand, have a more centralized village _and_ we are able to grow crops without fields!"

Attempting to quell his ramble, Lilli interjected. "So where can I grow crops then?"

Rutger smiled and seemed to forget about his budding rant. "Anywhere you see some open space, my dear! I seem to recall spotting a wonderful area right outside your door… there are other spaces near the entrance to Villa Farm and by your chicken coop. Of course, you cannot grow an entire _field_ of crops… but you wouldn't have the time. Taking care of animals takes a lot of time and effort, and since you've chosen to dedicate yourself to the noble profession of raising animals, you really will not have time for growing many crops."

Lilli nodded. "Basically, I just go find some open space and then what?" She hated asking another question, knowing that the long-winded mayor would not hesitate to explain everything in excruciating detail.

. . . . .

After a half-hour of explanation, Rutger finally left. He may be uppity and obsessed with Bluebell, but he was a generous man; he gave Lilli a hoe, sickle, and hammer for free. They were not in the best condition and quite heavy, but Lilli appreciated it nonetheless, knowing that she could not afford these tools.

"Thank you," she said honestly. "I really appreciate all the help you've given me."

Rutger smiled kindly. "No problem at all, my dear. I know it's a lot of information to soak up, especially in such a short amount of time, but I have the utmost confidence in you."

"Thank you," Lilli said again. Just as the mayor tipped his hat and began to walk away, a question bloomed in her mind. "Rutger!" He turned at the sound of his name. "Where do I buy seeds?"

"You'll have to go to Konohana for that," he responded regretfully. "An old man by the name of Gombe sells seeds; he is a bit senile so if you see a young woman with long black hair, ask her. She's his granddaughter and much more… with it." He tapped his head lightly with the cane. "It's a hike, but in the meantime you can buy flower seeds from Cam. If you have any more questions, feel free to visit me in the Town Hall. Good luck!" With that, Rutger was gone.

_Cam_… Lilli thought. _The blonde with the hat?_ There were two men around the same age who constantly wore hats, and they were the only two villagers Lilli still struggled to recognize, and more importantly tell apart. _Okay, Ash has a hat and Cam has a hat… they both have light hair… one sells flowers._ As she brushed Ruthie, Lilli decided that today was the day to halt the confusion. After milking her now-docile cow and collecting the egg from Henrietta's nest, Lilli set off for Bluebell town.

Fifteen minutes later, she stood in front of a small booth. It was ten past ten, and the elaborate sign next to the booth clearly stated that Cam's Flowers was open for business at ten AM. It was a Wednesday, so she knew it was open. _Apparently Cam isn't very prompt,_ Lilli thought with slight irritation. The sound of laughter bubbled up behind her; Lilli spun around.

There were two men walking and laughing together. They were about the same height, and both had light hair and were wearing plaid hats in different colors. _It must be Cam and Ash_, Lilli mused. The man in the purple checked hat wore dark slacks, a mauve button-down, a violet vest and a light yellow tie that hung crooked and loose around his neck. The other man looked like he was auditioning for _Jersey Boys_; he wore brown pants with suspenders keeping them on his slim hips, a button-down with the sleeves cuffed at his elbows and the top buttons undone to reveal a tan undershirt, a tan plaid hat, and fingerless gloves.

As they drew nearer, the one in purple caught sight of Lilli. "Good morning," he said slowly. "Are you looking for something?"

Lilli nodded and responded, "Yes, actually. I want to buy a few flower seeds."

Purple-hat glanced at his suspender-wearing friend and walked behind the counter. "Well you're talking to the right person."

_That must be Cam_, Lilli decided. She waited for him to say something else. When he didn't, she spoke up. "I've seen you around, but I don't think I've introduced myself yet. I'm Lilli. I just took over Villa Farm. And you're Cam, right?"

"Right." He began arranging flowers, his gaze lowered.

Slightly unnerved at his lack of friendliness, especially towards a potential customer, Lilli turned to who she decided was Ash. "Hi, nice to meet you." She stuck out her hand; he shook it gently. "You're Jessica's son, right?"

Ash grinned and nodded, letting go of her hand. "You got it. You've met?"

"Yes, she actually gave me a cow and chicken as a housewarming gift. She's a generous woman," Lilli told him honestly.

"She is. Have you met my sister?"

"Cheryl?" Lilli laughed. "Yes, but I don't think she likes me very much! She tried to sneak a bug into my shirt, but I caught her. She was surprised and ran away, but she seems like a great kid. Hopefully our next encounter won't involve any creepy-crawlies."

Ash laughed heartily. "Cheryl's a character."

Cam cleared his throat; both Ash and Lilli looked back at him. Lilli had almost forgotten that he was there. "Didn't you say you wanted to buy some seeds?"

"Yes… I did," Lilli nodded. "Um, what do you have?"

"Marguerites." He seemed to be a man of few words.

"Oh, that's the French word for 'daisy'," Lilli said conversationally. Cam nodded curtly. Realizing she wasn't going to get much more of a response from him, Lilli added "I'll take… four."

"That'll be 560," Cam said automatically. Lilli fumbled through her wallet, wondering how he did that math so quickly without a calculator. She handed him the money; he silently gave her the seeds without a word.

"Thanks… and it was nice meeting you." She nodded at Cam; he was already back to arranging flowers. "I'm sure I'll see you around soon," she said to Ash.

"I'm in the barn if I'm not in the house or visiting my good friend here," he told her. "Feel free to come chat sometime; I love hearing the adventures of other farmers!"

"Will do," Lilli responded. "Thanks again," she said to Cam, and with a wave, turned to leave. As she walked away, she could hear the boys muttering to one another, and she distinctly heard a name a couple times before she was out of earshot. _Ash seems like a nice guy_, she thought, _but that Cam… if he wants to sell his flowers, he'd better learn some people skills first!_

_. . . . ._

**Whew, second chapter done! I know it's a little slow so far, but things will really start to pick up in the next chapter! Bear with me and thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

Crossing her arms proudly, Lilli watched as four bright green, tender stems sprouting from the dirt swayed slightly in the breeze. In just a few more days, those delicate stems would sprout beautiful marguerites. As proud as she was of her budding flowers, Lilli felt an urge to experiment with other crops. Rutger had said that an old man sold seeds in the other village… it was a far trek, Lilli mused, but she had explored the mountains before. How much farther could Konohana really be?

Once an idea had planted itself in Lilli's mind, it grew and grew, much like her tiny marguerites. At first the idea was small and she hardly took notice of it, but as the idea to venture to Konohana blossomed, she could not ignore it any longer.

In the end, the voyage took Lilli an hour. She got lost a couple of times on the Konohana downwards slope of the mountain, but luckily she had been on enough of the giant red mushrooms to know exactly how high they bounced. After a terrifying run-in with a wild boar, her pulse did not stop racing until she realized that she had finally reached Konohana. At least, Lilli assumed it was Konohana because of the Japanese-styled buildings with flatter roofs and symbols on the doors in deep red paint. She quickly realized that the layout of the town was completely different than the layout of Bluebell. The buildings were spread further apart to accommodate a large plot of land bursting with growth—tall stalks, squat fat leaves, and winding vines covered the gardens in a sea of green and brown. Some had even begun to sprout! Lilli was momentarily mesmerized by the tiny, reddening buds that would soon ripen into strawberries. Had she moved to the wrong town? When Lilli had been given the decision to move into either Konohana or Bluebell, she had picked Bluebell for a few key reasons. She had always loved animals, especially farm animals, due to her childhood love of petting zoos. The idea of raising animals was almost romantic in a way, because eventually those animals would come to love her and keep her company. Plants could not keep you company—they died after a season and their harvests were quickly eaten, cooked, stored, or rotted. But here, Lilli could almost believe that these plants had a life of their own. They were obviously well cared-for and would produce delicious fruits and vegetables. Perhaps she didn't have a green thumb naturally, but she could learn to grow plants.

That thought brought Lilli back to reality. She had made her decision, and was going to stick to it. She had animals in Bluebell that needed her, and maybe were even starting to love her. She could buy seeds from Konohona and start tending crops, slowly at first. Who knows? Maybe crops were her passion, but for now she had to start small.

_Where can you buy seeds?_ Lilli wondered as she cautiously wandered around town. She saw house after bamboo-paneled house, each boasting a plentiful garden, but which one sold seeds? Just as she was about to wander in someone's house and ask, she saw a little boy marching towards her. He was no more than four and a half feet tall and had silky, black hair and dark, intelligent eyes. His clothes were a rich red color and his hat was embroidered with golden thread in intricate designs. To Lilli, he looked like a little prince.

"I don't recognize you," he said boldly in a clear voice. Despite his statement, his eyes flickered nervously. "Are you… from the other town?"

Lilli walked up to the boy and smiled, nodding. "Yes. I'm Lilli, and I just moved to Bluebell less than a season ago. Who are you?"

"I'm Rahi!" he exclaimed, puffing out his thin chest, "and I'm the mayor's son!"

Lilli remembered Ina, the tall, steely-eyed woman in proper clothes and gold jewelry who had attempted to convince her to live in Konohana. She did not seem pleased by Lilli's decision to reside in Bluebell, and Lilli had no desire to run into the mayor anytime soon.

"I'm going to be the mayor someday," Rahi continued proudly. "I have a lot, _a lot_ of work to do before then, though."

"Rahi, I think you'll be a great mayor someday," Lilli told him sincerely.

Rahi smiled back at her and blushed a little. "You wouldn't know about running a town, but thank you," he said. He was a very proper child, Lilli noticed, especially when he continued talking. "I have to go now though. My mom wants me to study today, so I'm going to go study like she wants me to." With that, he began walking away, but gave her a small polite wave.

The mayor's son was already a good distance away when Lilli realized that she had wanted to ask him where to buy seeds. "_Damn!_" she swore loudly, luckily out of earshot from the little boy.

"Woah there, that seems a little harsh," a deep voice chided her. Lilli spun around and was face-to-chest with a tall, tanned man with tattoos and a ponytail.

"Uhhhhh…" Lilli sputtered intelligently, embarrassed to have been caught talking to herself. She looked up at him and saw that he had not actually been chiding her but was joking. She backed away a few steps and looked at him in the eyes, noting that they were as dark as Rahi's. "I didn't see you behind me. I'm Lilli, and unfortunately, I'm also lost."

He held out his hand and she shook it, her hand engulfed in his palm. "I'm Kana," he told her with a grin, "and I am assuming this is your first time around here."

"Yes," Lilli admitted. "I just moved into Bluebell a season ago, but I decided to stop by and buy some seeds."

"A Bluebell farmer who wants to grow crops? Why didn't you just move here then?" Kana released her hand and shifted his weight. Lilli noted that the tattoos on his arms were of barbed wire and wound all the way around both biceps. _Classy_, she thought sarcastically.

"Yeah, well, I love animals but thought I would give growing crops a try too," Lilli told him honestly.

Kana's eyes immediately lit up, and Lilli realized how good-looking he was. "I _love_ animals," he told her, and he began speaking rapidly. "I actually work there—" he pointed behind them to a house connected to what looked like a barn with a fence encircling a green pasture—"and I take care of animals. Horses, mostly. I _love_ horses. I have ten of them…"

At this point Lilli began to get worried. She immediately felt a connection with Kana—okay, okay, she was a sucker for muscles, especially on tall men—but as she listened to him ramble, she realized that he not only adored horses but took care of them for a living. When would be a good time to interrupt and tell him _sorry, but I'm actually deathly allergic to the blasted creatures_? Lilli figured that there really was no such time to drop that bomb.

"…it's so exciting to meet someone who raises animals as well. Do you like horses, Lilli?" Kana finally stopped talking and focused his gaze on her, waiting.

"Yyyyyyes, I do," Lilli lied slowly, hating herself.

Kana didn't seem to notice her hesitation. "Great! I knew it, just by looking at you. You look like a horse person."

_I look like the kind of person who breaks out into hives whenever a horse touches me,_ Lilli thought, but smiled at him weakly. "You sure know how to read people," she said lamely. She was a terrible liar, and figured the only reason Kana couldn't see right through her act was because they had just met. "Actually, I have a favor to ask you," she said, changing the subject before he could start talking about horses again. "I came to town looking for seeds to buy, and, well, I've never been here before and don't know where to go…"

"Oh, you'll want to see Gombe," Kana said confidently.

"Um… who is that?" Lilli held his gaze, even though she was still embarrassed at her ability to lie to a complete stranger, albeit a very attractive stranger.

Kana laughed. "You weren't lying when you said you're new around here, huh?"

_No, but I was lying about the horses_, Lilli thought to herself. Out loud, she let out a forced chuckle and said "Yeah, I really don't know a thing about Konohana! Would you mind showing me?"

Smiling down at her, Kana nodded. "Sure. It's my day off, and I was headed down that way anyway." He pointed south and began walking. Lilli kept in stride. Thankfully, he dropped the horse talk and instead began describing Gombe, the old man who sold seeds. "He's off his rocker, that old man, but he's harmless. Plus, he sells top-notch seeds. Really high quality," Kana insisted. "Here we are."

Immediately, Lilli could see that a seed-seller lived here. The house itself was unassuming, with the bamboo exterior and flat roof that were common in all of the Konohana houses, but the plot of land was breathtaking. Bountiful crops flourished, surrounded by green bushes. Each crop looked flawless, and there was not a weed in sight. Although all of the gardens she'd seen so far were fresh and well-tended, this easily surpassed them all. As Kana and Lilli approached the house, Lilli spotted a willowy girl in a traditional, pink kimono watering the plants. Her hair was long, straight, and midnight-black, and her skin was flawless.

"That's Nori," Kana whispered, following Lilli's stare. "Gombe's granddaughter. She'll make a great housewife someday—she's the best cook around, and she takes care of the crops." Lilli felt a brief surge of jealousy and quelled it quickly; she had just met Kana, and he was merely describing someone for her. Kana guided her inside, introduced her to Gombe (who, at five feet tall, was just as kooky as Kana had described) and in no time Lilli had purchased a few small bags heavy with seeds.

"Come back soon and play!" Gombe called as Kana and Lilly walked outside. Lilli waved and smiled at him, and turned back to Kana.

"This is where I leave you," he told her. "I always go to Yun's Tea House on my days off to relax." He pointed to the building across from Gombe's seed shop. It did not have a front door, which Lilli found intriguing; instead, a thick layer of cloth separated the tea house from the outside world.

Lilli wanted to ask if she could join him, but ignored her instinct and said instead "I have a lot of work to do, and it's a long hike back to Bluebell. Thank you so much for showing me around. I really, really appreciate it." She gave a little wave and turned to leave when he spoke again.

"I work a lot, but maybe sometime I can show you around more. If you have the time, that is," Kana told her. He smiled. "Maybe you can meet my horses."

Lilli nodded and smiled numbly. "That would be great," she responded, pinching the skin on her left elbow between her right thumb and pointer finger. "Thanks again, and it was nice to meet you, Kana."

"You too!" He waved and disappeared into the tea house behind the fabric curtain.

The walk back to Bluebell seemed to be shorter, partly because Lilli knew the way but mostly because her mind was overcome with the lies she'd told a completely stranger. A complete stranger that, for the rest of the day, she could not stop thinking about.


	4. Chapter 4

The next day, after taking care of her animals, Lilli couldn't help but think about Konohana. She was curious about the village, and, as much as she tried to convince herself otherwise, a big part of that curiosity was due to Kana. He was unlike the boys in Bluebell, with their feminine clothes and bland personalities. Something drew her to him, inexplicably. Maybe it was the tattoos.

By noon Lilli had made up her mind. All of the chores around the farm were done, and she wanted to gather some things to sell on the mountains anyway. If it got too late, she would come home, Lilli told herself.

Of course, Lilli practically ran through the Bluebell side of the mountain, and by two PM was at the peak of the mountain. She had always wanted to go to the very top, but today her heart was racing with excitement. The only thing on her mind was Konohana.

The Konohana side of the mountain was still foreign to Lilli. She caught a new type of butterfly and almost got lost by the rushing waterfall while inspecting a crack in the wall. _Almost drowned for this stupid piece of scrap metal_, Lilli grumbled to herself. Her clothes had just begun to dry when she reached Konohana. Straight ahead, a bamboo house met her eye. Lilli had not noticed it before. Feeling brave, she waltzed up to the door and knocked.

"What?" a loud, gruff voice yelled from within. Lilli hesitated for a moment, but a burst of courage forced her to push open the creaky door.

The building seemed to be one giant room at first. Lilli's nostrils were immediately assailed with the acidic odor of smoke and metal, and she squinted, looking through the slight haze. "Hello?" she called.

"Yes, yes, over here," the gruff voice said. Lilli saw a hunched figure by the source of the smoke. He was not facing her, and made no effort to turn, so she approached him.

"I'm Lilli." No response. Lilli coughed, then said "I'm the new farmer in Bluebell."

The figure turned around at that. The first thing Lilli saw was a hat. A very odd hat, with two black protrusions on top. Her eyes then moved to his black-and-white ensemble, and suddenly it hit her: panda. The old man was dressed as a _panda_. The protrusions on the hat were ears. She would have laughed, but she was too surprised. "Nice to meet you. Name's Sheng."

"It's… nice to meet you, too," Lilli said. She finally looked at his face. His eyes were sparkling, but if it was from madness or genius she could not tell.

"I'm the blacksmith of this town," Sheng continued, "so if you ever need a tool upgraded, I'm your man."

"Thank you," Lilli said. "I actually just started planting crops, so I will probably be seeing you sooner or later. The watering can I have now is heavy, and I think it leaks a little."

"You're probably right. Nothing they give you in Bluebell works very well," Sheng said gruffly. "Let me see it."

Taken slightly aback at the direct assault on Bluebell, Lilli paused before opening up her bag. She handed the clunky can over to Sheng.

He inspected it for a few moments. "Yes, this really is a piece of junk," he told her. "I'd fix it for you now, but I'm swamped." He gestured towards the fire, which Lilli noticed contained multiple hunks of white-hot metal. "Right now I'm working on a couple things for Kana."

Lilli felt her cheeks and neck grow warm, and knew that it was not because of the fire's heat. "Oh, really?"

Sheng nodded vaguely, looking back at his work. Lilli got the hint. "It was very nice meeting you. I'll definitely come in some other time."

"I'll be free next month," he told her as she was walking away. "Check the message board!"

Lilli hadn't even realized Konohana had a message board. It made sense; Bluebell had one, and it was an effective method of communication. As a matter of fact, she was currently searching for some mint for Laney; the requests were often easy, and while the rewards were meager and often useless—she had received a horse treat from Grady recently, and what was the use of a horse treat without a horse?—money is money.

As she walked down the worn brick path, Lilli couldn't help but slow down in front of Kana's house. She wanted to stop by and say hello, but didn't know where the conversation would go from there. _I'd just make things awkward_, she thought. _We don't even know each other_.

In spite of her worries, Lilli walked up to the door. Her eyes fell upon the sign to the left, where the shop's hours were scrawled in thin black ink. According to the sign, Kana's shop was currently open. Lilli peeked through the window to her right, leaning over a bit and standing on her tip-toes. Kana was inside, at a counter, his elbows on the table and his face cupped in one palm, his fingers drumming on his cheek. He looked utterly bored.

Suddenly his eyes flicked over and met hers. Her reflexes too slow to react in time, Lilli just continued to stare. Kana smiled and stood up straight, still looking at her. _Jesus_, Lilli thought. _He sees you looking in like a stalker._ Her fight-or-flight instinct told her to flee, but her legs refused to comply with her frantic brain signals.

Kana opened the door and stuck his head out. "Hi there, Lilli." He was smiling, which was a good sign.

"Hiiiii," she said, drawing the syllable out. _Think, think woman. Make up an excuse!_ "I saw that your shop is open, and I had a question for you, so I thought I'd ask…" Lilli dug around in her backpack until her hand closed upon a crumbly cookie-like object. Triumphantly she brought out the horse treat. "This! What exactly do I do with this?"

Kana stepped outside so he was completely out of his house, his hand still resting on open door. "May I?" Lilli handed him the treat. He smiled as he turned it around in his hand. "This is a horse treat. Just give it to your horse—he'll love it." Kana held it out for her to take back, his tattoo rippling slightly as his bicep tightened.

Lilli shook her head and smiled sheepishly. "I don't have a horse."

Puzzled, Kana repeated, "You don't have a horse? Where'd you get the treat?" He was curious, not confrontational.

"Oh, Grady gave it to me," Lilli said.

"Grady gave you a horse treat when you don't even have a horse?"

"Um, I got it because I finished this thing he wanted done. It was on the message boards, and I think the horse treat was probably just a default reward, he gave me money too," Lilli explained hurriedly.

The look on Kana's face told Lilli that he wasn't about to let her off the hook. "And you didn't ask him what it was when he gave it to you?"

Lilli's face was burning red. "…No, I guess I didn't."

Kana was still holding the treat. Suddenly, he smiled, and Lilli felt her tension evaporate. "I'm just giving you a hard time!" He laughed, a deep, rich sound that matched perfectly with his muscled, manly appearance.

Lilli smiled back, relieved. She was beginning to realize how laid-back he was. "You can keep that, if you want," she told him, gesturing to the horse treat. "Since I don't have a horse."

Kana's face lit up, and he couldn't contain another grin. "Really? For me? Awesome! Thank you." He pocketed the treat. "I know one of my horses will really love this." He was positively beaming.

All of the smiling made Lilli smile too; she couldn't help it, it was infectious. "I bet they will."

There was a momentary silence, which could have become awkward if Kana hadn't spoken again. "Well, I really should be getting back to work," he said. "Someone might come in."

"Oh yeah, looks like you have a line of customers out the door." Lilli almost winced as her joke came out—it was a little harsh for friendly banter.

To her immense relief, Kana laughed again, brushing his bangs out of his face and towards his short ponytail. "I know, I know, it isn't exactly busy, but hey, you never know." He backed away a few steps and lifted his right hand in a wave. "It was nice seeing you, Lilli."

"You too," Lilli said as he closed the door. _It's official_, she thought as she slowly retreated into the mountain area. _I'm starting to like this guy._


	5. Chapter 5

Lilli's mind was buzzing with half-completed thoughts and budding emotions on the walk back from Konohana. She barely noticed where she was walking and almost tripped multiple times on fallen tree branches or small rocks. It was as though she was on auto-pilot, her body numbly carrying her home as her mind focused on other things. Other people, really. Kana.

She never fell so hard, so fast. Never. Lilli had had a few boyfriends in the city, but they had been nothing special. Clean-cut and mostly businessmen, her boyfriends were all somewhat attractive but ultimately boring. She'd never been in love, and had never even said the words. It wasn't due to fear of love or even of commitment—Lilli had just never found the right guy.

_Not that Kana is the right guy,_ Lilli chided herself. _You barely know him!_ But he was different than her exes, with their ironed pants and short hair. Kana was exotic in a way. The barbed-wire tattoos, the ponytail, his dark, slightly slanted eyes, his tan skin. And his muscles! Lilli blushed just thinking about that.

Before she knew it, Lilli was back on her ranch. Ruthie mooed enthusiastically, heaps of grass in her mouth. Lilli walked over to the fenced area and patted the cow on her dark nose, watching as the nostrils flared good-naturedly. "You're a good cow," Lilli murmured soothingly. "Were you lonely all day? Do I need to get you a friend?" Lilli had been saving for a sheep for a few weeks now, and she felt like she was finally ready to part with the money. Seeing Ruthie all alone made her forget about Kana altogether. "Do you want a friend, Ruthie?" Lilli asked again, looking into the cow's huge brown eyes. Ruthie kept chewing. "I'll take that as a yes," Lilli gave Ruthie one final pat before heading into Bluebell.

Lilli was surprised to see Cheryl working alongside Jessica at the store. "Hi there," she said in greeting. Walking up to Cheryl first, Lilli joked, "Got any bugs to scare me with today?"

"No!" Cheryl said as fiercely as a child could. "You won't get any more bugs… as long as you stay away from my brother!"

Lilli laughed. "I'm not going anywhere near him, don't worry," she said reassuringly. Cheryl smiled smugly. Turning to Jessica, Lilli said that she was ready to purchase a sheep. Jessica took the money—Lilli gulped nervously, seeing it go—and then instructed Lilli to go out back and have Ash help with the sheep. At that, Cheryl narrowed her blue eyes.

"Thank you, Jessica," Lilli said as she turned to leave. "Bye Cheryl." The little girl gave out a slight _humph_ but waved somewhat reluctantly.

Ash was lying in the grass by the barn, his eyes closed peacefully. He didn't hear Lilli walk up and was startled when she spoke. "Working hard… or hardly working?" Lilli laughed openly when his eyes flew open and he jerked his arms up from behind his head.

"Lilli!" he gasped, standing up quickly. "What are you doing here?"

"Is that any way to speak with a customer?" Lilli spoke with an air of solemnity.

"Customer? What did you buy?"

"A sheep," Lilli said, "and it's your job to help me pick out my sheepy soul mate."

Ash smiled and brushed off the grass from his clothing. "Right this way." He led her into a barn, which was just as uninspiring as her barn, except it was much bigger and filled with many more animals. Combined with the animals grazing outside, Lilli estimated that they had over thirty animals. The pair walked deep into the barn, passing cows chewing their cud and a huge pregnant sheep. Suddenly, Lilli began sneezing wildly. "Are you okay?" Ash asked after the seventh sneeze.

Lilli wiped her watering eyes and glanced to her left, where a horse was standing innocently at a trough. "Fine," she said, trying to find the most elegant and discreet way to wipe her dripping nose. "I must have inhaled some hay or something."

"Are you allergic to hay?" Ash looked genuinely puzzled.

"No." Lilli smiled in what she hoped was a pleasant way and changed the subject. "So which one of these lucky livestock is my new sheep?"

"Well, you really don't have much of a choice. You'll have to wait for Sally over here—" he gestured to the pregnant sheep—"to have her lamb. It'll be a few more days, maybe a week. And then we have to wean her… so two weeks, tops."

Lilli hadn't realized or even considered that there might not be a lamb for her to take home today. She wondered if Jessica had simply not wanted to explain the situation. Jessica had her money, and Lilli was still sheepless. "I guess that's okay," she said.

"Great." Ash smiled. "Just come back sometime next week. You can meet the little guy and who knows, maybe you two will connect from the start!"

Before she could respond, Lilli suffered another sneezing fit, this one much louder than the last. She rubbed her eyes without thinking, and as they began to itch she knew it was time to go.

Ash looked just as uncomfortable as she felt. "Hay again?" he asked uncertainly.

"Yeah," Lilli said. "I'd better just… head out. See you next week,"

"See you."

Lilli was almost out the door when Cheryl barged in. "Aaaaaaash!" she squealed, ignoring Lilli completely. "Let's play!" She glanced back at Lilli with all the smugness an eight-year-old could muster. Lilli was positive she looked like a wreck—she kept sneezing uncontrollably, and her eyes were no doubt red and puffy. She sped out of the barn and headed home.

The next morning started out ordinarily. Lilli fed her livestock, brushed Ruthie, sang a Mother Goose rhyme to Henrietta, which the chicken happily clucked along with, and refilled her watering can at the fountain. Just as she was about to drizzle water on the plants, she noticed something that she had at first overlooked—her flowers were blooming.

"How did I not see that?" she said aloud. Bubbling with excitement, Lilli set down the watering can and lowered her nose to the blossom. It was delicate white with a bright yellow center and had a gentle, sweet smell to it. She brushed a bug off one petal and deftly plucked the flower. It was perfect. _I can grow things after all!_ Lilli thought with glee.

She ended up placing the flower in a vase by her bed. The other flowers were left intact; Lilli promised herself that she would sell the rest, but they would stay in her garden for one more day.

The rest of the morning was not nearly as exciting, and even the excitement of her first blooming plants faded as Lilli went about her daily chores. Without realizing it, Lilli had walked past the mountain's peak and was well on her way to Konohana by the early afternoon.

_You have no reason to be going there_, she scolded herself. However, she decided to visit the other village anyway; after all, what else did she have to do?

Lilli couldn't help but slow down when she passed Kana's house. The lights were all off, though, and it seemed as though the house was empty. Curious, Lilli gently twisted the door handle. It was, indeed, locked.

Once that realization hit her, Lilli felt incredibly stupid. She had gone to Konohana to visit Kana, even if she had been too stubborn to admit it to herself at first. Now, she was alone and had no idea where he was. There was nothing else she had wanted to do in town—the last hour had been a waste of time.

But maybe she did know where Kana was. Lilli remembered their first interaction and how he had gone to a restaurant… no, a tea house. A tea house with thick silk cloth instead of a door. Lilli vaguely remembered that it was south of Kana's house…

She walked by a few strange buildings until she recognized one. It was the seed shop where she purchased her crops. Peeking through the shrubbery that surrounded the vast gardens, Lilli saw the beautiful, willowy girl that always worked there. Nori. Luckily, Nori didn't notice Lilli spying, and Lilli quickly hurried towards the tea house.

Lingering at the doorway, Lilli touched the soft cloth before making her way inside. Soft music played in the background—it sounded like a harpsichord—and an old woman stood behind a counter. _That must be Yun_, Lilli thought.

"Hello there, dear," the old woman said. She had a wrinkled face and was slightly hunched over, but her hair was done elegantly and her robes were immaculate. "Are you the new rancher in Bluebell?"

Lilli walked towards the counter and nodded. "Yes," she said, "I've been there for a couple weeks now. It took me a while to get used to Bluebell, but now I'm ready to explore Konohana too. It's a beautiful town," she added with a slight bow of her head.

Yun smiled. "It is, isn't it? My name is Yun." She straightened up a bit as she said her name. "I am the owner and the chef of this tea house. My granddaughter lives with me as well… perhaps you could come by sometime and play?" She lowered her voice to a gravelly whisper. "She can get lonely." After clearing her throat, she continued. "What's your name, dear?"

"I'm Lilli," she said.

"It's very nice to meet you…" Yun paused, looking thoughtful. Suddenly she turned away from Lilli and called out in a surprisingly loud voice, though just as gravelly, "Kana, is this the Lilli you mentioned?"

Lilli felt her face heat up and knew it was cherry-tomato red. She didn't need to look where Yun was facing to know that Kana was looking at her.

"Yes it is," Kana answered jovially. "She's going to be a wicked good farmer."

Lilli bit her tongue to keep from laughing—Kana spoke like a stereotypical surfer or a teenage boy. Wicked good? She turned around, smiling but not holding back her laughter. "I wouldn't say that, but thank you. I didn't realize you were here."

"Come here every Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday" he said, leaning back in his chair. "Yun has awesome food!"

Yun smiled again, shaking her head slowly. Lilli wondered briefly if they were related or just close friends. It was amusing to witness the interaction between an eighty-year old traditional Japanese woman and a twenty-something tattooed man.

"Lilli, why don't you sit down?" Kana offered.

"Oh… I don't want to interrupt your lunch," she said. _What are you doing?_ she asked herself. _Sit down! He invited you!_

"I already ate," he said. Lilli took a few steps toward him, wanting nothing more than to sit down with him just for a while. "As a matter of fact, I'm all finished up here. Would you, like, wanna go on a walk or something?"

"Yes?" Lilli's response came out automatically, but sounded more like a question than a response. "Yes! Sure," she said.

"Great." Kana beamed at her and stood up. He walked past her to Yun and grabbed one of her hands in both of his. "Thanks Yun. It was awesome, as usual." He smiled at her and turned back to Lilli. "C'mon, let's go."

As the two walked out of Yun's Tea House, one question plagued Lilli's mind: was this a date?


End file.
